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Alan Hall has been appointed chief executive of Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland Mental Health trust.

He is currently chief executive of South of Tyne and Wearside Mental Health trust, a post he has held since the trust's formation in April 2002.

Sheenagh Powell has been appointed director of finance at Craven, Harrogate and Rural District primary care trust. She was previously finance director at Bradford City PCT.Ms Powell has worked in NHS finance since 1976, initially in the West Midlands and later at trusts in the Leeds area.

Alwen Williams is to join Tower Hamlets primary care trust in June as its new chief executive.Ms Williams is presently chief executive of Bexley Care trust.She has worked in Tower Hamlets before, including holding several senior posts at the Royal London Hospital.Current Tower Hamlets PCT chief executive Christine Carter is retiring Hertfordshire Partnership trust has named Linda McQuaid as its new director of children's services.She joins from Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare trust, where she was assistant director of nursing.Before that she held director of nursing positions in community/mental health/learning disability and primary care trusts.

Ms McQuaid also sits on the management board of the National Children's Bureau.

South Liverpool primary care trust has named Soroyah Meah as assistant director of public health.Ms Meah has worked in the NHS for 19 years.She is an experienced nurse and midwife, has provided expert public health advice to the Cheshire and Merseyside specialist commissioning team, and is an honorary research fellow at Liverpool University.She joins South Liverpool from South Sefton PCT.

The Royal College of Nursing has appointed Bernell Bussue as regional director for London.He joined the RCN in 1998 as east London regional officer, and since January 2003 has been acting regional director for London.Before joining the RCN he was senior nurse manager of a surgical and orthopaedic unit.

Financial penalties are being lifted from high-profile standards including cancer and elective waiting times, so far without attracting much attention. How is this happening? And will it work, asks Rob Findlay